It is well known in the art to use 1,3-butadiene as a feedstock in processes for the production of polymer compounds, such as styrene/butadiene copolymer resins. One of the problems encountered in these processes is that the polymerization catalysts employed are sensitive to oxygen, moisture and other impurities including polymerization inhibitor. Typical purification schemes used today include a two-step fractionation scheme and a fixed bed desiccant dryer scheme. In the two-step fractionation scheme water and oxygen are eliminated out the top of the first fractionator and heavier impurities and polymerization inhibitor are removed from the bottom of the second fractionator. The problems encountered in this prior art two-step fractionation system include unwanted polymerization in and around the first fractionator and the expense of constructing and operating two columns. A drawback of the prior art desiccant dryer scheme is that high amounts of 1,3-butadiene dimer, and other heavies, can pass through the dryers and on to the polymerization reactor. Therefore, development of a more efficient process for purifying 1,3-butadiene without the problem of unwanted polymerization in and around the purification equipment would be a significant contribution to the art.